Authorities Chase Juveniles Driving Stolen Vehicle
(Le Mars) — Last evening at about 9:30 p.m. an Iowa State Patrol trooper
recognized a vehicle as being stolen while driving on Highway 12, north of Stone
State Park, in Plymouth County. The trooper attempted to conduct a traffic stop
and the driver fled. The pursuit turned east on to Plymouth County Road C-38
where speeds exceeded 115 mph. Plymouth County Sheriff’s deputies along with Akron
Police Department joined the pursuit near county road K-18 and C-38. The car
struck stop sticks at C-38 and K-22 which were placed by a Plymouth County
Sheriff’s deputy. The driver stopped approximately two miles east of K-22 where
she and a passenger were taken into custody. Both subjects taken into custody are
juveniles so no names are being released at this time. There were no injuries and
no damage to any vehicles except the stolen car which sustained two flat tires.
Worthington Man Arrested Using Stolen Identity
(Orange City) — The Sioux County Sheriff’s office has placed a Worthington,
Minnesota man under arrest after an investigation was conducted and determined the
man was using a stolen identity to gain employment at the Premium Iowa Pork at
Hospers. 39 year old Jose’ Garcia was arrested on Wednesday afternoon. Sioux
County authorities were able to determine Garcia was using an identity from a
Michigan resident. Garcia was arrested for identity theft and forgery.
Cherokee Man Missing
(Cherokee) — Authorities found the car that belongs to a missing northwest Iowa
man in Las Vegas last weekend, but 27-year-old Daniel Wetherell of Cherokee still
hasn’t been found.
Tina Lincoln of Cherokee, Wetherell’s girlfriend, says the two talked by phone at
about 1 p.m. on October 4. Wetherell told her he was in Sioux City, donating
plasma.
“He said he loved me and he’d be back Tuesday night and I never heard from him
again,” Lincoln says.
Police say Wetherell’s car was found in a parking lot in Las Vegas.
“Inside his car, they found a bunch of garbage,” Lincoln says. “…His wallet and
his cell phone were not discovered in his car, so they’re assuming he still has
them on him. Really nothing of importance was in the car.”
Wetherell worked at a Dairy Queen in Cherokee. On the morning he left, Wetherell
had an interview for another job in Cherokee.
“He’s a friendly, fun-loving type of guy. Not really sure why he left,” Lincoln
says. “He’ll do anything for anyone…At this point we just want to find him, so we
can understand what’s going on.”
Wetherell is a blue-eyed red head who’s about five-foot-eight-inches tall. He
weighs about 155 pounds. Wetherell’s cell phone was last used in Sioux City on
October 4, the last day he and his girlfriend talked.
Le Mars City Officials Decide To Wait On Water Main Repair
(Le Mars) — City officials have changed their minds regarding the water being
shut off for work at the Central Avenue and Plymouth Street downtown intersection.
Assistant City Administrator, Jason Vacera says the project which was to have
started yesterday, has been postponed until next week, and for the most part, the
water will stay on.
Vacera says with the new approach of making the water main repairs, most of the
downtown businesses should not have any interuption with their water services.
Soybean Harvest Nears Completion Despite Recent Wet Conditions
(Remsen) — Harvest in northwest Iowa has slowed down a bit due to recent rains
and wet conditions. However, one local grain merchandiser believes that 80
percent of the soybean harvest within his trade area is now complete. Lanny
Hustedt with the Farmers’ Cooperative Elevator of Remsen says the soybean harvest has produced better than expected yield results.
Hustedt says the moisture content for the soybeans that have been harvested and
brought to Remsen are running a bit high.
Hustedt says the corn harvest is just getting started, although he has heard of corn yields that have exceeded 200 bushels per acre.
Iowa’s Expected Revenue Drops
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A panel of state budget experts has lowered Iowa
revenue projections for the current fiscal year, though there are no immediate
plans to cut spending.
Citing a slowdown in agricultural income and economic uncertainty from a
divisive presidential race, interest rates and international trade the Revenue
Estimating Conference Thursday predicted the state will take in about $49.3
million less than anticipated in March.
The new revenue estimate, based mostly on individual, business and sales tax
receipts, is $7.31 billion for the fiscal year that began July 1. That’s still a
5.6 percent increase from the previous year.
The three-member group estimated next year’s revenue will grow 4.1 percent to
$7.61 billion.
The group updates the estimates again in December and those figures are the
basis for next year’s state budget.
Judge Declares “Hot Lotto” Lawsuit May Proceed
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A judge says the winner of a Hot Lotto jackpot can
continue a lawsuit that contends he would have won millions of dollars more if the
prior drawing had not been rigged by a lottery vendor.
Iowa District Court Judge Karen Romano refused to dismiss the case Wednesday.
The suit is the first against the Multi-State Lottery Association over a jackpot-
rigging scandal inside the organization.
Romano says the association and the Iowa Lottery aren’t immune from the
lawsuit filed by Larry Dawson of Webster City, Iowa.
Dawson won a Hot Lotto jackpot worth $9 million in May 2011. He argues that
the jackpot should have been worth $25.5 million had the prior jackpot in December
2010 not been fixed by then-association security director Eddie Tipton.
Koscher Meat Processor To Pay Fine
POSTVILLE, Iowa (AP) – The federal Environmental Protection Agency has reached a
settlement that requires a kosher meat processing plant in northeastern Iowa to
pay a $43,000 penalty.
The EPA says Agri Star Meat & Poultry, of Postville, Iowa, agreed to the
settlement to resolve industrial stormwater violations of the federal Clean Water
Act discovered last year. Under the settlement, Agri Star must also comply with
its industrial stormwater permit.
The EPA says Agri Star failed to develop and update an adequate stormwater
pollution prevention plan, perform plant inspections, conduct annual evaluations
and other monitoring, among other things.
Emerald Ash Borer Found In Two More Iowa Counties
MARENGO, Iowa (AP) – State officials say an invasive insect that kills ash trees
has been discovered in two more counties, raising the total in Iowa to 38
counties.
The Iowa Department of Agriculture said Thursday that emerald ash borer
larvae were found at Lake Orient Recreation Area in Adair County and in a rural
area north of Cromwell in Adams County.
The insects have killed tens of millions of ash trees and have now been found
in 28 states. They are native to Asia and were first reported in the U.S. in
Michigan in 2002. The insects were first detected in Iowa in 2010.